DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Carlene Bailey

EDC 20 (section D06C)

Professor J. Valdez

September 20, 2011

 

“Me as a child: Recollection of an Early Childhood Experience”

 

Summer time of 1996, my mother and I were on a plane going to Jamaica for my 6th birthday. It was a bumpy ride and a scary experience for me. I couldn’t wait to get off the plane but I was definitely not looking forward to the three hour ride to our home town. Our home is located in Old Harbour Bay, Saint Catherine Jamaica. It was a ride to remember. We went through all types of different cities and different neighborhoods.

 

Jamaica is very beautiful. The trees are very high up in the sky and it reminded me of the story “Jack and the Beanstalk”. On our way to our destination I thought about climbing the trees wondering if I would have been able to meet the Giant. Animals such as goats, cows, dogs, and chickens walked along the streets. In America it was so different animals were only on farms or in the zoos unless you had some as pets. The time seemed to go by so fast and before I knew it we drove up into our yard which was called the “Ghetto lane”. All twelve of my aunts and uncles grew up in this house that my grandfather lived in as a child. Grandpa was a free spirit he lived all his days as if it was his last. But sadly I couldn’t say the same for my grandmother. She passed away when my mother was in her early teen years; she was buried on the side of the house so every time we came home we paid our respects to her. After greeting my family I went to take a nap. I always seemed to dream about my grandmother, she was very beautiful and carried the longest hair and the sweetest voice.

 

When I woke up my cousins were decorating for the party. My cousins weren’t much older than I but they were more advanced when it came to hands on work because they worked hard to raise the animals and keep the house in order. My mother and my aunt started getting the food prepared for cooking. My aunt was very creative with her style. In Jamaica we weren’t so fortunate so we didn’t have stoves in our home so my aunt had to cook outside by using coal, gasoline, and matches to make a fire in the grass. The pot was held up by two twigs and a string which helped the pot stay above the fire. In no time the foods were ready. We had rice and peas, oxtails, stew chicken, ackee with salt fish, dumplings, and vegetables.

 

Shortly after my family who lived in Jamaica starting showing up with friends and gifts for me. I enjoyed the dance hall reggae music, we played games, and told jokes about older times. My party was coming to an end and we said our goodbyes. The very next day we left you come back home to America. I was so happy that I was able to share a birthday with my family I didn’t get to see on an everyday basis. This experience makes me go to Jamaica whenever I have a chance to. Eventually I would like to build a school there for people who are less fortunate because my family doesn’t really have education and aren’t so fortunate. I wish the ones who stayed behind would have come to America because there are better opportunities here but they rather stay home because they are comfortable with their life styles.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.